German rock concert to resume after suspected terror threat

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Organizers of a popular German rock festival say it is set to resume on Saturday after police searches failed to confirm fears of a terrorist threat.

Authorities shut down and cleared thousands of fans from the three-day Rock am Ring festival Friday evening, its opening night. They cited what they called "concrete indications on the basis of which a possible terrorist threat can't be ruled out," but didn't give details.

The top security official in western Rhineland-Palatinate, Roger Lewentz, planned a news conference at 11 a.m. (0900 GMT) Saturday.

Rock am Ring organizers said in a Facebook post ahead of that appearance that police had cleared them to prepare to reopen the site.

Some 90,000 had been expected by the end of the weekend at the event outside the western town of Nuerburg. Overall, some 85 bands were scheduled to play on four stages with Germany's Toten Hosen highlighting Saturday's list and California's System of a Down playing Sunday.

Following the recent attack in Manchester outside a concert, organizers had instituted strict security controls including body searches, while backpacks and bags were banned. Some 1,200 police were to be on hand for the event, in uniform and in plain clothes.

Germany has been on alert since a number of violent attacks last year, including the truck attack on a Berlin Christmas market that left 12 victims dead and dozens of others injured. The attack, carried out by a young Tunisian man who had been denied asylum in Germany, was claimed by the Islamic State group.